Friday, June 18, 2010

Giving props to Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors tonight, one of the last true voices in modern country music (Rascal Flatts, Kenny Chesney, and Keith Urban be damned) as he surprised even me with keeping his jukebox down home hits to a minimum and accentuating his best material from the early to mid part of last decade Thursday night in Noblesville. Yes, the tight jeans and black cowboy hat were there, but the real magic still lies in throwing out songs like the outstanding nostalgic hoe-down of "Back When", a very underrated and unsuccessful single like "Angel Boy", along with the show stopper "Live Like You Were Dying" and the personal confession that "Things Change", even in country music, as McGraw was the most animated I've seen, unlike previous times...he feels the need to keep the crowd occupied to keep up with the new crop of country performers. It may seem awkward for a guy who just likes to come out and just perform, but to his credit, he accentuated his strengths in the songs he chose instead of going for that total jukebox setlist which is very commendable and left some concert goers scratching their heads. Elton fans got their "Tiny Dancer", the songwriting duo of the Warren Brothers, who are now part of the band?, stopped by for "Blank Sheet Of Paper" and "If You're Reading This" and songs from his latest lackluster "Southern Voice" we're kept to a minimum. Here's to hoping McGraw and his Doctors realize the strengths they had on past albums "Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors, "Live Like You Were Dying", and "Let It Go", because from the setlist tonight, it sure seemed like they knew where their best material laid. Another surprisingly good show from McGraw and his band, this coming from someone who despises sexy tractors and Carrie Underwood.

Lady Antebellum, country music's newest darling, opened with a setlist consisting of hits including "Love's Looking God On You", "Run To You", and the best booty call song of 2010 (hell, from the past twenty years for that matter) "Need You Now", but still showed their not far removed from being a bar band with the obvious Mellencamp/Romantics "R.O.C.K In The U.S.A./What I Like About You". They may be country's new shinning star, but they still need to combine some more upbeat numbers to their repertoire if we're gonna talk about them in 2020. Those Antebellum kids are having a blast....deservedly so, enjoy it.

Love and Theft opened, but as usual, me and Amy missed it having a few beverages and shooting the shit.

Here's McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors setlist courtesy ahoburgh:
Real Good Man
Last Dollar (Fly Away)
Where The Green Grass Grows
Let It Go
She's My Kind Of Rain
Back When
Just To See You Smile
Still
Down On The Farm
Everybody Hates Me
Feels So Right (McGraw solo-acoustic)
Blank Sheet Of Paper w/Warren Brothers
If You're Reading This w/Warren Brothers
Tiny Dancer
It Felt Good On My Lips
Things Change
I Like It, I Love It
Something Like That
Southern Voice

Encore:
Sing Me Home
Angel Boy
Live Like You Were Dying
The Cowboy In Me